Katy Perry Gothic Look: Has She Forgotten Her Christian Past?

Katy Perry, originally a Christian singer who produced gospel rock albums, appeared on the red carpet Thursday night wearing a dark, gothic ensemble. While admitting Perry's large success, some have questioned if the pop star has forgotten her Christian roots.

NARM Music Biz 2012 Awards was held Thursday night in Culver City. Among those who attended was pop-star Katy Perry, wearing all black with dark purple hair and smoky eyes. The dark look is far different than the stars usual, bright colored wardrobe and perhaps a far cry from her original debut as a Christian artist.

Perry's black dress had revealing strips, which showed a fair amount of skin. She also wore a Catholic rosary around her neck and painted her nails in a black French manicure with dark purplish red lipstick to finish the look.

Perry released her first album in 2001, only days before her 17th birthday, under the name of Katy Hudson. The best selling song off of the album was titled "Trust in Me" which was written by Perry and talks about her trust in the Lord. However, Perry didn't become a star until she seemingly ditched her Christian roots, changed her name, and began wearing for more risqué clothes paired with song lyrics that some said influenced youth in a negative way.

"For impressionable young women and men, they can send the wrong message," web blogger Nicole Weider wrote. "It makes me question whether Perry has forgotten her Christian roots. It's as if she doesn't care anymore about being a good role model.

Perry, of course, has been through a rough year, and her new gothic get up may very well be a reflection of that. Despite an ongoing successful career, she won artist of the year Thursday night, she also recently split from husband Russell Brand.

"Katy's music was absolutely everywhere over the past year, and her dominance of the singles charts is a nearly unprecedented accomplishment," NARM President Jim Donio said in a statement. "She has unquestionably blossomed into a true global superstar and has earned this Award in every sense of the word."

But Weider has questioned the star's success and wonders if she will ever return to her Christian roots.

"Did Katy Perry sell out? Does she even care about the message she's sending to her fans?" Weider asked. "Maybe in the future she'll use her fame to once again circle back to her Christian roots and sing songs that are uplifting, not degrading. I'm hoping she will."